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Denso develops new safety products for new 2018 Lexus LS and 2018 Camry

Fri, 09/01/2017 - 1:11amadmin

New vision sensor and a millimeter-wave radar sensor more precisely detect obstacles on the road

Kariya, Japan—Denso Corporation designs and develops the technology helping drivers safely navigate the roads. The company recently announced two new products to be incorporated in the new 2018 Lexus LS, which will be released in Japan and U.S. after this fall. A new stereo vision sensor and millimeter-wave radar sensor will help improve safety performance of vehicles by more precisely detecting obstacles and lane lines on roads.

The stereo vision sensor uses 3D image processing techniques called “dense stereo matching” to detect obstacles of different shapes, including pedestrians, vehicles, and guardrails, as well as empty road spaces marked by lane lines, which enables autonomous emergency braking and automatic steering control to avoid obstacles. The product’s highly sophisticated cameras can also better detect pedestrians at night.

The new millimeter-wave radar sensor provides higher pedestrian detection performance in a more compact module. More frequent radio waves emission also detects obstacles with higher sensitivity, particularly pedestrians approaching from the sides. Furthermore, the product’s radar beam can be emitted over a wider angular range, without requiring a mechanism to adjust the angle, as with previous versions. This reduces its size by 60 percent compared to conventional radar sensors, thereby allowing for easier installation.

New sensor detects vehicles to the rear and side of the vehicle

Denso also announced it has developed a 24-GHz submillimeter-wave rear and side radar sensor to help enhance vehicle safety systems. The sensor is used in the 2018 Toyota Camry released in July.

It’s strategically built into the rear bumper of the vehicle to detect other vehicles likely to enter the driver’s blind spot to the rear and side, as well as vehicles approaching from the rear on the left and right when reversing. The sensor is part of a larger system that helps drivers identify and navigate around other vehicles when changing lanes or reversing out of a parking space, and controls the autonomous emergency braking function to avoid imminent collisions.

To enable accurate detection, whether moving forward or reversing, a phase shifter switches the sensing direction and range of the submillimeter-wave radar sensor.